Title
Receive report from EAA staff regarding background and summary of EAA technical activities associated with the recently listed River City Metal Finishing Superfund site located in Bexar County.
Body
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
None. This item is for informational purposes only.
SUMMARY:
The purpose of this technical briefing is for the board to receive a report from EAA staff regarding the River City Metal Finishing site, which is a former metal plating shop that operated from 1994 to 2002 in western Bexar County. After several enforcement actions, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) removed drums and containers of waste from the site, demolished the building and foundations, and disposed of the materials off-site in 2013. In 2016, a follow-up site investigation by TCEQ revealed that shallow groundwater at the site was still contaminated with heavy metals. Moreover, cyanide and hexavalent chromium were detected in at least two Edwards Aquifer public supply wells near the site. With TCEQ’s recommendation and letter of support from the State of Texas, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) placed the site on the National Priorities List in May 2018, thus creating the newest superfund site in the San Antonio area.
In this presentation, Mr. Paul Bertetti, Director - Aquifer Science, will review some details associated with the site and explore background information that may be helpful in developing an understanding of the aquifer system in the area and its potential connections to the surface. Mr. Bertetti will also review data from water quality sampling conducted in 2016 and 2018 and explore the complexities of attempting to determine the presence or absence of contamination in the Aquifer.
STRATEGIC PLAN REFERENCE:
This agenda item supports the EAA’s policy direction as set forth in the EAA 2016-20 Strategic Plan: Goal D: Prevent the Pollution of the Aquifer.